The invention relates to apparatus for manipulating sheets or webs of paper or like material. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus which can be utilized to stack discrete sheets of paper, cardboard, metallic or plastic foil, textile material, paperboard or the like, to sever webs or strips of coherent sheet-like products, or to stamp, punch and/or otherwise deform discrete sheet-like products. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the type wherein discrete or coherent sheets of paper or the like are transported along a predetermined path.
It is known to treat running webs or strips of paper or the like, or to treat sheets which form one or more streams of non-overlapping or partially overlapping sheets while the webs, strips or sheets are in motion. The tools which are used for such treatment can include severing, trimming, depressing, flexing, aligning, orienting, arresting and/or other types of tools. If an apparatus employing such tools is to be set up for a different treatment, e.g., for stacking of larger or smaller sheets, the shifting of one or more tools to a different position takes up a substantial amount of time with attendant losses in output due to prolonged idleness of the apparatus. The situation is aggravated if one or more tools must be shifted to a new position by moving them in several directions. For example, it is often necessary to move one or more aligning, orienting, depressing or flexing tools in or counter to the direction of advancement of discrete sheets or webs as well as transversely of such direction. This situation will arise if an apparatus is used to stack discrete sheets which are delivered in the form of two or more streams of non-overlapping or partially overlapping (imbricated) sheets so that the sheets are simultaneously gathered into two or more stacks of fully overlapping sheets. Stacking of the sheets can be preceded by severing of a relatively wide web into two or more narrower webs or strips and by cross cutting of the strips at regular intervals to form a corresponding number of streams of non-overlapping or partially overlapping sheets. The tools which are employed at the stacking station can include aligning devices which are adjacent the longitudinally extending marginal portions of sheets advancing toward one or more stacking locations, devices which serve to flex and thereby stiffen selected portions of successive sheets of each stream, devices which depress the sheets in order to maintain each sheet in a predetermined path during advancement to the stacking station, as well as devices which serve as stops to arrest the oncoming sheets at the stacking station. At least some of these tools must be adjusted (by moving them to different positions) when the apparatus is to be set up for the treatment of sheets having a format other than that of the previously treated sheets. Automatic or semiautomatic adjustment of tools in accordance with heretofore known proposals is a complex and time-consuming procedure which invariably involves longer-lasting idleness of the apparatus. The situation is aggravated if the apparatus forms part of a production line which employs a series of various machines and/or apparatus because prolonged idleness of a single apparatus necessitates stoppage of the entire production line with attendant huge losses of output.
The situation is analogous in an apparatus which is utilized to subdivide a relatively wide web of paper or the like (i.e., a web of coherent sheet-like products) into two or more narrower webs or strips which are thereupon convoluted to form discrete rolls or are acted upon by one or more cross cutters to yield discrete streams of non-overlapping or partially overlapping sheets ready to be stacked and/or otherwise treated prior to packaging and storage or shipment to customers. If the web is to be subdivided into a different number of strips or into two or more strips having widths different from those of the previously formed strips, the knives which sever the web must be adjusted by moving them transversely of the path for the web. This, too, takes up substantial amounts of time and results in losses of output.